What do you do, when you become disillusioned with the rat race, and realize luxuries such as indoor plumbing are no longer important to you? Become a wine columnist? No, wrong answer. You simply pack your bags, and nip off to Provence. After a brief encounter with the eccentricities of the natives, you record your dramas and triumphs in two books that quickly become best sellers the world over. Then, when everyone and his uncle suddenly appears on your doorstep, you pack your bags and move on, leaving your unwanted visitors to trample all over the once pristine French countryside.

This is precisely what happened to Peter Mayle whose Provence books captured the imagination of millions of foodies and winers around the globe.

The full version of this article is now available on Restaurant Report's membership site RunningRestaurants.com.